Creation Waits for the Sons of God to be Revealed—Romans 8:19

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed" (Romans 8:19)

So many people worship nature, but the Bible says that nature worships its creator. Isn't it interesting that creation knows what lots of people don't... that God designed and created it. Because of this knowledge, creation is waiting expectantly for sons of God to be revealed.

This is because our natural, created world already knows and testifies the evidence of God. His footprint is on everything that was created. Paul started out the book of Romans by exclaiming, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" ( Romans 1:20 ). Creation is God's handiwork so it is natural that creation longs for the same things that God desires, the final revelation of his love.

Why does nature wait longingly for the sons of God to be revealed? Verse 21 says that when this happens, nature will be set free from the decay it has been subjected to as a result of the fall of Adam ( Romans 8:21 ). Through Jesus' redemptive work on the cross, he didn't just reconcile mankind to himself, but he reconciled all things. I John 3:8 says that the reason Jesus came was to destroy the works of the devil. In other words, he came to completely undo everything that Satan did. Sin affected more than humankind at the fall. Sin also affected the natural world and the entire universe that God created, sin polluted His creation. The world was created as a paradise, but part of the curse of the fall was decay of the world ( Genesis 3:17-19 ).

In the same way that our spirits long to be with Christ and to be untied in bodily form with him, all of creation groans and longs to be liberated and brought into freedom as well. ( Romans 8:22 ). Creation is waiting expectantly for the sons and daughters of God to be reveled because this means that the promise spoken to Adam and Eve in the garden during the curse had come to pass. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." ( Genesis 3:15 ). Jesus came to get it all back! The revelation of his children shows that this has been accomplished because Jesus came and brought us peace with God and to destroy Satan and the affects of sin. He has reconciled us to God, which means that we are completely blameless before him and through faith we have be restored to the state that mankind was in before the fall. We are currently waiting for the redemption of our bodies from this world in the same way that creation is waiting for the redemption of its physical body. The revelation of God's children means that this is fast approaching. Paul say, "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" ( Romans 8:22 ). If the birth pains have started then it is just a matter of time until we receive our final bodily redemption. This is good news!

Today I am thankful that creation reminds us to wait expectantly for the Lord's return. I am thankful that we have a sweet precious promise to look forward to knowing that Jesus is coming back for us very soon! Today, may you join with creation in celebrating the revelation of sonship through Christ Jesus, Amen!